I wake with a start in the morning, the sharp movement making my back scream in pain. I prop myself up on my hands, straightening my back, feeling a little relief. The cool air chills the skin on my shoulder and I turn my neck, seeing that my blanket was sliding down my body.
Quickly, I turn to sit up straight and clutch the blanket to my body. I look around the tent, eyes adjusting to the illumination behind the white walls. I'm alone. I scan the floor of the tent, searching for my pack, wherever it is that I knocked it during all the chaos the night prior.
I find my pack about a foot and a half away from my feet and I crawl to where it sits, pulling a new top out of the right lower pocket. With a lot of maneuvering and a few moans of pain, I manage to get the top on, pulling the back lower than it's supposed to go to keep it from rubbing on the burns. I also leave the straps untied, tucking them into the front of the shirt so the bow and ends of the straps don't irritate my sensitive skin. Lastly, I throw my hair up in a quick bun, not bothering to make it tight, and walk out of the tent.
Camp is silent and eerie. Despite the heat of the morning air, the ambiance around me sends chills down my spine. "Auggie?"
My voice comes out in a quiet rasp and I strain my ears, listening for a response. Panic begins to set in when I don't hear his voice call out to me. I quickly walk around the tent, scanning over the camp.
"August?!" My voice comes out louder as I jog to the opening of the building. I go out five feet from the entrance, my breathing becoming ragged.
"Ada?" My lungs catch and I spin around, looking to my right.
August and Eve walk in my direction carrying wet clothes in their hands. "Thank the stars." I sigh my words and rush to them. Once in front of them, I give them both a large smile, but only for a short moment before my right fist shoots out, punching August in the bicep. Hard.
August hisses and clutches his arm, nearly dropping the clothes in his hands. "Cursed stars, Adaline! What was that about?!" Eve chokes on a laugh, snorting as she covers her mouth to hide her smile.
"What was it about?! August, I woke up alone, having no clue what had happened to you! How am I supposed to react?!" I glowered up at him and huff, really not wanting to hear him stutter over his words.
Instead, I look at Eve, setting my hands on her upper arms, careful of the burns that cover her skin. "How did you get out of the rain? When did you get back? Did you run into any trouble our there? Are you—"
"Ada." Eve cuts my questions off with a hard look and by uttering my name. "Relax. Breathe." She sucks in a deep breath and I breathe with her. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
"Better?" She raises her eyebrows at me and I nod. "Good, let's go inside and I will tell you about what happened." I nod again and look to August.
He stands quietly with a small grin and light in his eyes. I look to the clothes in his hands and reach out. "Let me help you."
August hands me my clothes and I can hear Eve breathe sharply when his hands brushes mine. I turn to walk with the pair and notice Eve's stunned, pale face. "I'm okay." Her eyes bolt to mine surprise and glee shining in them.
We walk as a small group back to camp and I'm able to breathe easy knowing that the two most important people out here are okay. My strides are short in comparison to theirs, August's the longest on my left, and Eve's just longer than mine on my right.
"I'm not sure where to start..." Eve sighs as we reach our tents and quickly slip inside them both to put our clothes in our bags, having decided we should wait to dry them with a fire tonight when we pitch camp.
YOU ARE READING
Submit (Book 1, The Karyln Trials)
Science Fiction*Completed* We are only a number... How would you feel if when you were born, your whole life was set in front of you? If how you were treated was all dependent on where in the year you were born? Well, welcome to Karyln, formerly known as the Unit...
